2016 ( USA | Hong Kong ) ( Comedy, Drama, Music )
STARRING: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Rosemarie DeWitt
DIRECTOR: Damien Chazelle
Winner of 6 Oscars at this year’s Oscar ceremony, La La Land is simply a splendid continuation of cinema’s ever-evolving love affair with song and dance. If you love classic Hollywood musicals, if you have ever splashed through puddles like Gene Kelly in Singin’ In The Rain or just consider yourself a hopeless romantic then you will find it completely irresistible.
It is a film that dazzles from the very first moment as Whiplash director Damien Chazelle stages a jaw-dropping tour de force on a Los Angeles freeway. There is gridlock as far as the eye can see. Nobody is going anywhere until someone emerges from a car and bursts into song, kick-starting an all-singing, all-dancing production number. It is a magical moment that leaves a big smile on your face and sets the tone for what follows: an old-school musical delivered with a fresh modern vigour.
Set in modern day LA, Sebastian (Ryan Gosling), a wannabe jazz pianist and Mia (Emma Stone) a wannabe actress fall in love, supporting each other in their aspirations. But it’s a case of be careful what you wish for. As success beckons, choices are required which could jeopardise everything they dreamt for each other.
La La Land breathes new life into a bygone genre with thrillingly assured direction, powerful performances, and an irresistible excess of heart.
(2hr 8min)